Obituary of Shirley Lindenmuth

Shirley (Canham) Lindenmuth died peacefully Tuesday morning, November 8, 2022 at the age of 73. Brought up in Buffalo, NY, the second daughter of George and Rosary Canham, Shirley moved to Albuquerque in 1972 after completing her nursing degree in New York. Shirley worked primarily within the Presbyterian system in many capacities finishing up as a Home Care Nurse. She is remembered by many as a caring, competent nurse who went well beyond her nursing duties in helping families and patients. The daughter of one rather recalcitrant patient said “She was my lifeline. She could sweet talk him into doing what he should.” In 2006 Shirley was nominated for the New Mexico Nursing Excellence Award.

Shirley married Dane Lindenmuth in the mid-seventies and had two sons, Daniel Richard and James Eric who were the light of her life. Dane and Shirley split shortly after the birth of James in 1980.

Shirley loved cats, gardening and helping people. She is known for weeding the yards of neighbors who worked in Santa Fe and thus had a 12-hour workday and letting out the new puppy for another neighbor who couldn’t get away from work at lunchtime. Shirley fostered cats, at one point having 15 cats in her 900 square foot house. She was active in Al-Anon and volunteered twice weekly at the Al-Anon Information Services office on Menaul Blvd.

Shirley was preceded in death by her eldest brother, Edward Joseph Canham and her son, James Eric. She is survived by her son, Daniel Richard and his fiancé, Jennifer Laslo; her daughter, Lori Giannini, her daughter-in-law, Katherine Lindenmuth, her twin sister, Susan Jeffcoat, her younger sister, Rody Canham Blair, her brothers Charles and George Canham, their wives Rita and Debra, nieces Lori Weatherly, Kristi Betz, Shirley Snellbaker, Christiann Stewart and Aziza Blair, nephew, James Jeffrey Blair and nine grandchildren.

Services will be Thursday, December 1st at 10:00 AM at Riverside Funeral Home, 225 San Mateo Blvd NE. There will be a pot luck reception following the service at Black Cat Cultural Center, 3011 Monte Vista Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.